Spooky Banana-Berry Smoothies

There's nothing spooky about the cooling taste of these banana and berry smoothies. They're all dressed up with meringue cookie eyeballs for a Halloween party.

Recipe Ingredients:

Banana-Berry Smoothies:
2 cups fat-free plain yogurt
2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries or frozen unsweetened whole strawberries
1 cup mixed fresh berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries) or frozen unsweetened mixed berries
1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Ghostly Meringue Eyes:
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Black or dark brown candy-coated milk chocolate pieces

Cooking Directions:

1. For Banana-Berry Smoothies: In a blender combine yogurt, fruit and, if desired, honey. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Serve immediately with Ghostly Meringue Eyes.
2. For Ghostly Meringue Eyes: Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line two large baking sheets with foil or parchment paper; set aside.
4. Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating about 4 minutes on high speed until stiff peaks form and sugar is almost dissolved.
5. Place meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Pipe meringue onto the prepared baking sheets in pairs of 1 to 2-inch mounds that touch each other, forming eyeballs. Place the eyeball pairs about 1 inch apart. If desired, make some round and some oval. Gently press a black or dark brown candy-coated milk chocolate piece off-center into each mound to make googly eyes. Bake in the preheated oven on two oven racks for 10 minutes. Turn oven off. Let meringues dry in oven with door closed for 40 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely on cookie sheets. When they're completely cooled, insert the pointed end of a 6 to 8-inch wooden skewer into the bottom center of each meringue. Makes about 48 pairs.

Makes 3 or 4 servings.

Recipe and photograph provided by Better Homes and Gardens - BHG.com a member of the Home and Family Network for the best of cooking, gardening, decorating and more. © Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.